Hemel Hempstead man calls on Aldi to make parking rules clearer after receiving £70 fine

A man from Hemel Hempstead has called on Aldi to make signs for parking clearer in the car park after receiving a £70 fine for parking in the store's car park 15 minutes longer than allowed.

Paul went shopping with his wife to the store in Maylands Avenue, on Wednesday, September 22, and was in the store for 105 minutes - 15 minutes longer than the 90 minutes stated on the parking sign.

He received a £70 parking fine and when he contacted Aldi to appeal the fine, as he spent the whole time shopping in the store, they cancelled the fine.

But Paul wants Aldi to make it clearer to shoppers that there are options and if you shop for longer than 90 minutes, then there are ways of not having to pay the fine.

He said: "When I received the fine I was shocked, we received a £70 fine for parking in Aldi's car park for 15 mins too long when doing our shopping.

"My partner is disabled and I was also doing a weekly shop for a vulnerable person.

"We filled two trolleys and spent £176, we are living on a small pension and such a fine would have been very difficult for us.

"Aldi has resolved the issue, they said all I had to do was go in store and they would have cancelled it, but my point is that they do not have signs up anywhere telling people that.

"It should be more clear that there are options available for parking longer.

"I think many people would receive that fine from a private parking company and be scared into paying it, even though Aldi can easily sort it for them.

"I want to make people aware that there are other options and that Aldi has options for people to shop and park for longer than the 90 minutes.

"They say that is the average that people spend in stores, but I can tell you that for disabled people it can be a lot longer.

"Aldi has options in place for people who take longer to shop, so why do they not make that clear for people?

"Aldi has now given me a permit for three hours to park at the store on Maylands Avenue.

"There should be more signs and better communication.

"There should be more information on the parking signs, or on the store entrance about the options available.

"I am concerned that vulnerable people would just pay it, and for some people on a low income that could be very difficult for them."

An Aldi spokesperson said: “We are happy to review all cases if a customer believes a parking fine has been issued in error.”